LEAP Accepting Applications for $5.5 Million CARES Act Funded Small Business Restart Grants for Lansing Region Small Businesses and Nonprofits
More than 400 Grants Available for Small Businesses and Nonprofits Across Clinton, Eaton and Ingham Counties
Following the creation of a small-business restart program by the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) on July 7, 2020, funded with $100 million received from the Federal Coronavirus Relief Fund, the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) was allocated $5.5 million from the Michigan Small Business Restart Program to provide working capital grants to small businesses and nonprofit entities across Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties.
The statewide grant application for these funds is now open and can be accessed on LEAP’s website at www.purelansing.com/businessrelief, along with additional vital information to help eligible businesses and nonprofits craft competitive applications and apply. The application will be open until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020.
Eligible small businesses and nonprofits include those with 50 or fewer total employees and workers, which continue to experience financial hardship as a result of COVID-19.
Critical to LEAP’s values and our region, state law requires a minimum of 30 percent of regional funds ($1,590,000) be awarded to minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses. Additionally important is the distribution of funds across the region. To meet these needs and requirements, LEAP staff, approximately 70 regional economic development partners and a large group of local diversity, equity and inclusion partners, together by consensus, determined the funding distribution and related review criteria and process for the Lansing region restart grant program.
“Leading our region’s efforts to both persevere and rebuild our local three-county economy, LEAP is once again spearheading the efforts to restart small local businesses and nonprofits,” said Bob Trezise, president and CEO of LEAP. “With this program and others, LEAP will have directly distributed nearly $7.2 million in grants, loans and One&All inclusive entrepreneurship program funding to our regional economy, in a mere five-month timeframe. This is an enormous organizational task, one that LEAP is proud to execute, but can only be accomplished with the crucial partnership of the MEDC, the financial and expert support of LEAP members and the nearly one hundred local partners and organizations involved in this process. LEAP will be intentional about equitable distribution of these funds.”
The Lansing region restart grant program will provide 402 grants to small businesses and nonprofits across Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties including:
- 200 $10,000 grants for microbusinesses (9 or fewer paid total employees/workers)
- 125 $20,000 grants for traditional small businesses (10-50 total paid employees/workers)
- 77 $10,000 grants for nonprofit organizations (50 or fewer total paid employees/workers)
A full list of partners, complete eligibility requirements, application scoring criteria, description of the review process, FAQ and a list of organizations available to help applicants apply is available on LEAP’s website at www.purelansing.com/businessrelief.
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About LEAP
The Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) is a coalition of area leaders partnering to build a stronger community for all–working every day to grow, retain and attract business to the Lansing, Michigan, region.
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